Tamponade Pathophysiology Flashcards
What is Cardiac Tamponade?
Compression of the heart by fluid within the pericardiac which impairs diastolic filling of both ventricles
Pathophysiology of Tamponade?
- Fluid, blood, clots, pus, gas or combinations accumulate in pericardial sac
- Increased intra-pericarddal pressure(IPP)
- Compression
- Impeded diastolic filing of both ventricles
- Systemic and pulmonary congestion
- Decreased SV and CO
Clinical signs of tamponade: signs of systemic and pulmonary congestion?
- JVD (jugular vein distention)
- Hepatomegaly
- Ascites
- Peripheral oedema
Clinical signs of tamponade: signs of reduced SV and CO?
- Hypotension/shock
- Reflex tachycardia
- Pulsus paradoxus
- Most overt clinical signs of tamponade relate to reduced SV and CO
What are the most common clinical findings in tamponade?
- Tachycardia
- Elevated jugular venous pressure
- Pulsus paradoxus
(Note: up to 30% of tamponade pts will not have classic clinical features)
Is tamponade an echo or clinical diagnosis?
- Clinical diagnosis
- Echo can be useful in confirming diagnosis when classic clinical signs are absent
What are transmural filling pressures (TMFP)?
- Describes the difference in pressure between the inside and the outside of the heart
- TMFP = ICP - IPP
- TMFP is positive: prevents cardiac chambers from collapsing, even when pressure inside the heart is zero
Normal thoracic cavity pressure (ITP) and pericardial cavity pressure (IPP)?
- Normally ITP is almost the same as pressure in the pericardium (IPP)
- Both of these pressure are usually sub atmospheric or slightly negative
Normal heart pressure (ICP)?
- ICP is normally positive, buy may be zero at end-diastole
What pressure is pulmonary venous return influenced by?
Pulmonary veins contained entirely within thoracic cavity so influenced by ITP
What pressure is systemic venous return influenced by?
- IVC and SVC are not entirely contained within the thoracic cavity
- IVC in abdominal cavity so influenced by intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) as well as ITP
Normal right heart filling with inspiration?
- Diaphragm descends resulting in increased IAP (intra-abdominal pressure) and reduced ITP
- Augments systemic venous return
- Increased right heart filling
Normal right heart filling with expiration?
- Diaphragm moves up
- Decreased IAP
- Increased ITP
- Decreases systemic venous return
- Reduced right heart filling
Normal left heart filling with respiration?
- Minimal variation as pulmonary veins contained within thoracic cavity
- Changes in ITP transmitted to pericardial sac and pulmonary veins
Normal left heart filling with inspiration?
- As ITP falls with inspiration, so too does pulmonary venous pressure and IPP